A message from U of I President Tim Killeen on federal directives
January 29, 2025 5:33 PM

Dear University of Illinois System community,

Across the University of Illinois System, your chancellors and our deep roster of experts are diligently monitoring and evaluating proposed changes in federal funding, White House executive orders, and directives from the federal Office of Management and Budget for impact on our universities.

In the days ahead, the chancellors and I, along with other U of I System leaders, will continue meeting regularly as we learn more through near-constant updates and our federal relations team, who are our eyes and ears in Washington, D.C.

We are working closely with the Illinois congressional delegation to understand this evolving landscape and to continue advocating for public higher education. Our elected leaders here in Illinois and their staffs, including the governor’s office, are also an invaluable resource for us right now.

Next week, I will travel to Washington, D.C., for meetings with the federal relations team and members of our congressional delegation to learn more about what we should anticipate and how all of us might be affected.

We will continue to communicate with you as we gain clarity and, as we do learn more, we will make recommendations about how to proceed in ways that are both consistent with the law and our values and anchored in our responsibility to work on behalf of the people of our state. Some of this information may vary by university, so some updates will be shared by your campus leaders.

It is not yet possible to know the full extent of the implications, but know that across the U of I System, we remain committed to you: our students, staff, faculty, and our patients.

You also can be certain that our commitment has not changed to the systemwide mission of providing educational excellence, research with global impact, and opportunity and solutions for the benefit of all of our communities.

Tim Killeen

President

University of Illinois System